Sri Lanka Cricket Eyes Return to ICC Fold as New Constitution Nears Passage

Sri Lanka Cricket’s long road back to full membership of the international community may be approaching its final stretch. Eran Wickramaratne, chair of the board’s Transformation Committee, expects a new parliament-approved constitution to be law by the end of the year, with regular elections potentially resuming in the early months of 2027.

That timeline carries consequences well beyond Colombo. SLC’s voting rights at the ICC board are currently suspended, with the global body having determined that the Transformation Committee constitutes government interference in cricket. The installation of the committee also cost Sri Lanka the hosting rights for next year’s Women’s Champions Trophy.

A Bill Designed for Separation

The Sri Lanka Cricket bill currently before parliament makes substantial changes to the existing constitution. It prescribes a 14-member board, with half the officials voted in by SLC’s member body and half appointed as independent directors. At least two of those independent directors must be women.

The more significant provision concerns the relationship between the board and the state. The bill explicitly removes SLC from among the bodies governed by Sri Lanka’s 1973 Sports Law and supersedes that law entirely. Currently, SLC operates within the confines of that legislation and reports to the government on many of its processes. Only a parliamentary process, Wickramaratne noted, has the capacity to create genuine separation.

“We think that the process should be concluded in approximately a month from now,” Wickramaratne said. “That also depends on the parliamentary calendar. But certainly, this year, we will see the new constitution being the law on Sri Lankan cricket.”

Legislative Timeline

The bill was tabled in parliament in late September and has completed its first reading. It is presently with the Supreme Court, which heard petitions from members of the public over the preceding eight days.

“Since [the Bill’s] tabling, it may be challenged in the courts for two weeks by any citizen,” Wickramaratne said. “That has also been concluded. There were petitions and suggestions that came through that. The Supreme Court will most likely provide its verdict and conclusion this week. And then it will be tabled in parliament the following week.”

“Sometimes when you produce a Bill, there is a question of whether or not it conforms to the constitution of Sri Lanka. There are times when the judiciary says this bill has to pass with more than just a simple majority, while they may also call for a referendum as part of the progress of this bill. If it turns out that more changes are required, we will look at that positively. None of this is happening because of personal requirements, but because we see this as something that will benefit cricket and the country.”

Because the current government appointed the Transformation Committee itself, the bill is expected to have a relatively smooth passage through its second and third readings. The government holds a two-thirds majority in the house.

“After that, three weeks after its tabling, the debate can be called in parliament for the second reading [of the bill], and a vote could be taken,” Wickramaratne said.

Implementation and Elections

Enactment will not immediately restore normal operations. Several weeks will be required to implement the Act, as both elected and appointed officials must come through their respective processes.

“That will take several weeks after the SLC constitution becomes law,” Wickramaratne said.

If the bill passes in its current form, SLC will emerge with substantially more independence from the government, alongside a reordered internal voting and operational structure. For the ICC, that separation is the threshold that matters. For Sri Lankan cricket, it represents the foundation on which a return to full international participation can be built.

                                               

Relevant news